Cruising Belize

Although cruise ship passengers do not have nearly enough time to experience all the many splendors of Belize, each port of call within the country offers a diverse assortment of activities, shopping prospects, and refreshment opportunities that leave lasting impressions of the country´s many assets. Seventeen cruise lines peruse Belizean waters regularly, so coordinating a trip presents no problem. Although each line has its own itinerary, passengers can expect to visit at least one of Belize´s two main ports of entry, Belize City or Dangriga Town.

Belize City

Belize City is the primary port of call for most cruise ship lines. Regularly scheduled boats carry passengers to shore to taste a bit of Belize at the newly constructed Belize Tourism Village. The Village was specifically designed to cater to cruise ship passengers wishing to experience a bit of Belize in a short amount of time. The Village is comprised of three terminals and three courtyards containing over fifty stores and businesses. Visitors can enjoy both air-conditioned facilities and fresh tropical breezes throughout the complex. Plenty of restaurants and snack shops accompany live entertainment on cruise ship days, while an internet cafe keeps you connected and banks keep you loaded. The many shops offer a wide variety of Belizean arts and crafts, clothing, jewelry, and duty-free goods. Port agents and tour operators will greet you upon arrival and point you in the right direction whether you have a pre-arranged tour or not.

In the main concourse, the Belize Tourism Board operates an information desk for independent explorers wishing to access information on Belize and Belize City. The city serves as the country´s commercial and social hub and jumping off point for almost all of Belize´s terrestrial and marine attractions. With a wealth of historical and cultural landmarks, Belize City itself is worth a bit of exploration. The only functional manually operated swing bridge in the world looms over the Belize River to divide Belize City into two parts. The north side is home to the Marine Terminal and Belize Water Taxi Association, where boats make several daily trips to the cayes and guests can learn of the ecological wonders of the Barrier Reef at the Marine and Coastal Zone Museums. The south side crams in the majority of the city´s commercial activity. Here, the main marketplace, major banks, larger shopping centers and a multitude of gift shops can be found.

Belizean tour operators and licensed tour guides stationed at the Tourism Village run regular trips to numerous inland points of interest, as well as organize small island excursions. Buses and vans make daily treks to Altun Ha and Lamanai, two of Belize´s most famous Mayan sites nestled in the rainforest. Those craving freshwater for a change can explore Belize´s rivers and caves in a canoe, kayak or tube at Jaguar Paw. Belize´s intricate network of national parks and protected areas can be sampled through trips to the Belize Zoo, Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, Bermudian Landing (Community Baboon Sanctuary), and other natural attractions.

Giving their passengers a brief taste of island paradise, many ships and water taxis stop at various cayes along the Belizean coast. The multitude of activities offered on Belize´s many cayes is pleasantly overwhelmingØsnorkeling, diving, fishing, wind surfing, sailing, sea kayaking, nature walks, bird watching, swimming, shopping, dining, and lounging to name a few! The following cayes are the most frequently visited destinations from Belize City:

Caye Caulker

The Belize Water Taxi Association makes several daily trips to and from Caye Caulker and San Pedro, thereby making these island destinations the most easily accessible in all of Belize. The Caye Caulker Marine Reserve and Hol Chan Marine Reserve offer world-class snorkeling and diving and provide guests with a chance to swim with nurse sharks, eagle rays, stingrays and bottle-nosed dolphins at the famed Shark-Ray Alley. Diving trips at Turneffe Islands, Half Moon Caye, Long Caye at Lighthouse Reef and other locations on the Belize Barrier Reef are accessible for full or half-day excursions. Tours from Caye Caulker can also include trips to see the docile, though prodigious, manatees in their natural habitat.

San Pedro

San Pedro is perhaps the most popular island off the coast of Belize. Located on Ambergris Caye just north of Belize City, San Pedro features phenomenal beaches, diving, snorkeling and fishing. Away from the center of town, an abundance of wildlife resides in the broadleaf forest that covers much of the caye. The yards of the houses and hotel grounds all bloom with tropical flora. San Pedro serves as the premier base for excursions to nearby attractions and the more distant islands and atolls. Here, brave guests can again swim with nurse sharks and stingrays in San Pedro´s own Shark Ray Alley or quench their thirsts at numerous beachside watering holes.

Goff's Caye

Just to the south of Belize City lies Goff´s Caye, an incredibly pristine, uninhabited reef island on the Belizean Barrier Reef. Quiet Goff´s caye is a tiny, palm-studded slice of sand sitting directly atop the reef. Enjoy superb diving and snorkeling at this tranquil locality. Well away from inhabited islands, large schools of reef fish boldly swim about. Certain cruise lines take their passengers directly here to snorkel or dive nearby.

Dangriga Town

Although less explored, Dangriga Town has its own unique cultural flare unlike most ports of call. Dangriga Town lies at the mouth of the twenty-mile long Stann Creek River, the namesake of the Stann Creek district. Refugees from Honduras in search of a peaceful home free of political and cultural persecution settled this port city in 1823. Today, it represents the cultural capital for the Garifuna culture and offers visitors a wide variety of arts and crafts representative of its founding fathers. A centralized market also offers fresh local fruits, vegetables, meats, and breads every weekday, and for a few hours on Saturday.

Dangriga serves as the gateway to all ecotourism activity in the south of the country. With licensed tour buses exploring the jungle beyond the city limits, water taxis speeding off to the nearby cayes at a moments notice, and beautiful stretches of quiet beaches, the town provides visitors with many options. If you have a day to spare, take a quick jaunt to the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary just outside Dangriga where jaguars roam the 150 km of protected jungle. The idyllic beach towns of Placencia or Hopkins offer white sands and shady palms while a refreshing dip in the freshwater phenomenon, the inland Blue Hole, can wash away the tropical heat. Other inland river treasures such as Five Blues Lake National Park, St. Herman´s Cave, and the Mayflower waterfalls are also accessible to the day traveler. Most riverside businesses can direct you to the destination, shop, or shady patch of sand of your choice.

The southern portion of the Belizean Barrier Reef also has a multitude of offshore cayes easily accessible from the mainland. The following cayes can be accessed via Dangriga or directly from certain cruise ships:

Tobacco Caye

Just twelve short miles from the mainland, Tobacco Caye beckons day-trip travelers. A dazzling view of turquoise waters is never out of sight when on this palm-fringed coral island. Excellent beaches and snorkeling right offshore in the shallow reef lagoon attract cast-aways while more adventurous visitors dive the wall of the Barrier Reef just a stone´s throw away.

Coco Plum Caye

Sitting atop the Barrier Reef, Coco Plum Caye boasts of terrific snorkeling and diving. A thatch bar over the water and restroom facilities cater to those beachcombers looking for quiet island R&R. Certain cruise lines can pass through the Barrier Reef channel at Coco Plum and enter the inner lagoon due to the small size and shape of their ships and anchor directly offshore.

Man-o-War Caye

Located in Progresso Lagoon on the Belize Barrier Reef, Man-O-War Cay supports a thriving bird sanctuary. Here, brown boobies, frigate birds, and pelicans swarm the skies. In the late afternoon especially, the skies above Man-O-War Cay come alive as hundreds of birds return to the island for the night.

Laughing Bird Caye

Laughing Bird Caye sits on the western side of Victoria Channel, thirteen miles southeast of Placencia Village in the Stann Creek District. The Caye was named for its large population of laughing gulls and has been declared a National Park to preserve the bird´s nesting grounds. The island is located within a faro, or shelf atoll, with deep channels and a centralized lagoon. Because of the unique geological formation of the caye, the scuba diving and snorkeling are as stupendous as the bird watching.

Entry requirements for cruise ship passengers

With a growing cruise ship industry in Belize, the Immigration and Nationality Services of Belize have made efforts to make entry into Belize´s ports of call as simple as possible for passengers touring for one day. Most cruise lines offer day passes to their guests going ashore that give access to inland and off shore attractions without the hassle of visas or passports.

"The Belize Tourism Board, the Belize City Council, the Cruise Ship Industry Association and the Ministry of National Security together with all other organizations/institutions interested in the tourism product will collaborate with each other to provide a safe and entertaining environment for all cruise passengers."